Minty_Fresh
Banned
This is a steep challenge, as the Battle of Chattanooga was probably too late for the campaign to be saved for Bragg's army.
However, an interesting POD might be the Union attempt to open up their supply lines. If it fails, it could be a disaster and cause them to have to retreat from the city. OTL saw the attack of Hazen's brigade, followed up by Turchin's brigade, seize a spot on the south side of the Tennessee River. This was to coincide with reinforcements under Joe Hooker marching from Bridgeport to the valley between Lookout and Raccoon Mountains.
Bragg saw this and told Longstreet to crush the Union forces on the wrong side of the river who allowed supplies to move into Chattanooga by opening up the Tennessee River to Union naval resupply, breaking the siege. Longstreet hesitated, however, believing that Hooker was going to march around the army and surround his position. He also didn't like taking orders from Bragg. By the time he actually did attack, he did so at night, at Wauhatchie, and the fight was inconclusive and rather pointless, and included Hooker's reinforcing forces. Had he attacked immediately as ordered with his full Corps, against two Union brigades, is it possible that the Union forces would have been crushed and the Tennessee River kept closed by the time that Hooker arrived?
Any other ideas to allow a Rebel victory at Chattanooga?
However, an interesting POD might be the Union attempt to open up their supply lines. If it fails, it could be a disaster and cause them to have to retreat from the city. OTL saw the attack of Hazen's brigade, followed up by Turchin's brigade, seize a spot on the south side of the Tennessee River. This was to coincide with reinforcements under Joe Hooker marching from Bridgeport to the valley between Lookout and Raccoon Mountains.
Bragg saw this and told Longstreet to crush the Union forces on the wrong side of the river who allowed supplies to move into Chattanooga by opening up the Tennessee River to Union naval resupply, breaking the siege. Longstreet hesitated, however, believing that Hooker was going to march around the army and surround his position. He also didn't like taking orders from Bragg. By the time he actually did attack, he did so at night, at Wauhatchie, and the fight was inconclusive and rather pointless, and included Hooker's reinforcing forces. Had he attacked immediately as ordered with his full Corps, against two Union brigades, is it possible that the Union forces would have been crushed and the Tennessee River kept closed by the time that Hooker arrived?
Any other ideas to allow a Rebel victory at Chattanooga?